Contents

Wuxi is in the south of Jiangsu Province, approximately half way between the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing, the former 128 km (80 mi) to its east, the latter 183 km (113 mi) to its west. Along with nearby city Suzhou, Wuxi is a popular travel destination for visitors to Shanghai and being less than an hour away by train, busy weekend retreat area for locals in the area. In its south is Lake Taihu and its northern border is the Yangtse River. The city is under direct jurisdiction of the province and governs three cities and six districts. It has a population of 4.32 million and covers an area of 4,650 km² (2,889 mi²).

The climate of Wuxi is moist and temperate, belonging to that of the sub-tropical maritime with distinct seasons. The average annual temperature is 15.5℃ (60°F). There are 250 frostless days and the average rainfall is about 1,000 mm (39 in). There are hills, rivers and lakes in this area but the most part of it is plain area crisscrossed with canals and riverlets. With fertile soil and rich produce, it is the famous “land teeming with fish and rice” in China.

Belonging to one of the eight primitive cultural districts in China, Wuxi is a famous cultural city with a history of over 3,000 years. The establishment of the city can be traced back to the end of the Shang Dynasty. Taibo，the eldest son of emperor Zhouwu in the West Zhou Dynasty came here from the inland of China. He introduced the inland culture to the south and created the Wu culture. The place used to be rich in tin deposit during the Zhou and Qin dynasties. As the tin was depleted by the end of the Qin Dynasty, the place was called Wuxi, meaning “ a place without tin”.

Wuxi is endowed with rich natural and human resources with a galaxy of gifted persons and developed economy. As one of the birthplaces of China’s national industry and commerce, Wuxi is one of the fifteen economic centers in China. With convenient transportation network, Wuxi is a hub of transportation which connects Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. Nine highways join Wuxi with important cities like Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou. Shanghai-Nanjing railway and Shanghai-Nanjing expressway pass through the city. It takes about 3 hours by car to get from Wuxi to Pudong International Airport. There are seven water routes to various places in the country along Yangtse River, the Grand Canal and lake Taihu. With developed post and telecommunications system, direct calls can be made to 156 countries or regions in the world. The express mail services are established between Wuxi and 27 countries and regions in the world.

With rich natural and cultural heritage, Wuxi is one of the top ten tourist cities in China. The typical features of the area is that of the regions of rivers and lakes. Wuxi occupies the most scenic part of Lake Taihu and enjoys the beautiful scenery. Theme parks like the Tang City, the Three Kingdoms City, the Water Margin City which feature daily live shows are new tourist attractions. The 88-meter tall bronze Buddha statue (Linshan Dafuo) and the holiday resorts add more appeal to the visitors.

Wuxi has three train stations: Wuxi Railway Station, Wuxi East and Huishan. From Shanghai and Nanjing, one can take the G-train series to Wuxi. The journey will be about 45 minutes (approx ¥60 second-class, ¥100 first-class, ¥180 business class (Jul 2016)). Depending on departure city, G-trains can be boarded from either Shanghai Railway Station or Shanghai Hongqiao or Nanjing South Railway Station.

Otherwise from Shanghai, one can take the D-train which takes about 50 minutes (¥38.5 second-class, ¥46.5 first-class (Jul 2016)). K- and Z-trains also run from Shanghai to Wuxi (approx 90 min to 2 hours, ¥20 hard seat, ¥75 hard sleeper and ¥120 soft sleeper).

Wuxi Metro operates Lines 1 and 2 and connect at Sanyang Plaza. Wuxi Railway Station has a stop on Line 1 while Wuxi East Railway Station is served by Line 2. Future plans call for an additional three lines, including a terminus on Line 3 at Huishan Railway Station. All Metro signage and automatic ticket booths are available in English and each station is complete with neighborhood maps and diagrams in both Chinese and English. Distance-based fare from ¥2.

Garden of Ecstasy (Ji Chang Yuan) one of the leading gardens in SE China and Emperor Qianlong, who made seven visits, had a copy made of the garden at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

Grand Buddha at Lingshan (灵山大佛) - One of China's largest Buddha statues at over 80m tall. The whole Lingshan area is a tourist attraction, with a musical fountain which plays out the story of the birth of the Buddha, as well as the Brahma palace (梵宫), a very grand palace with the pillars made of sandalwood, built to host the 2009 Buddhist conference.

Taihu (太湖) - A very large lake with many scenic spots, famous for its fish and freshwater pearls.

Donglin Academy (东林书院). Kept by the stone arch, with pool, Dong Lin monastery, Lize Hall, by Yong Tang, Oscillation Temple, three Temple, things promenade, to re-vegetarian, Road South Temple, Donglin Temple and other major construction work report, remain Ming and Qing Dynasty style layout shape and history. There are relegated name associated Gu Xian: "Reading the wind rain and the sound of ears; family affairs world are concerned about everything." edit

Wuxi Zoo (无锡动物园) This is a combination zoo and amusement park, and can get crowded on the weekends.

With a water surface of 2,400 km², Taihu Lake is the third largest fresh water lake in China. In 1982 it was designated as a national scenic area by the State Council.
Yuatouzhu is actually a small hill stretching into the lake like the head of a turtle, hence the name. This scenic area covers an area of 130ha and is composed of the following eight scenic spots.

The traditional foods are very sweet and savoury types of food, but there is a wide range of selection of western foods. In some alleys there are different kinds of foods on a stick. Definitely worth a try are the Wuxi-style xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), which are sweeter than those outside the area.

Wuxi is home to a variety of accommodations catering to both foreign and local guests.

Hongyun Hotel [7] A 4-star business hotel offering 186 rooms furnished with modern amenities. Business facilities include meeting rooms and a business center. Leisure facilities such as Japanese-style sauna and KTV room are also available. Address: 317 Zhongshan Road, Chong'an District.

Jinjiang Grand Hotel [8] is a 4-star hotel located in the hub of Wuxi. An elegant yet unimposing hotel in Jiangsu, it features a revolving restaurant located on the 28th floor and affords guests a stunning panoramic view of the city. An impressive array of business and recreational amenities matched with excellent service await every traveler. Address: 218 Zhongshan Road, Chong'an District, Reservations: 86-21-61226688 Ext. 7800.

Grand Park Wuxi (無锡君樂酒店), 403 Zhongshan Road Wuxi Jiangsu, ☎+86 510 6850 9999, [5]. Conveniently located in the heart of the business and shopping district, Grand Park Wuxi is also situated just 10 minutes away from the train station, offering easy access to and from major cities such as Shanghai, Suzhou and Nanjing. The 353-room luxury hotel has two dining venues, a fully-equipped gymnasium, an indoor heated swimming pool and meeting spaces that can accommodate up to 420 guests. edit